"Some say there's no way out of alock-in deal. Of course there is!"

– Alwin Bakkenes

Control your own destiny

Do you pay an extreme amount of money for far too little, delivered too late? Do you feel you're developing the same features over and over again? In the Infotainment industry today, this is unfortunately business as usual. But not for us.

We believe that you should re-use your software platform. In fact, we believe that you should control your own, based on Open Source software. By leveraging the Linux eco-system and GENIVI we can provide you with an industry standard software platform – for you to own. From this, you get code re-use and increased quality. That way, your engineers can focus on developing new features that matter to your customer instead of wasting energy on fixing the same bugs over and over again.

So if it's time for you to make a change, give us a call. We work with an open and transparent business model and provide products and services that meet your needs and exceed your expectations. And we will never, ever lock you in. That's a promise you can take to the bank. We want you to work with us because of what we bring to the table, not because you have to.

To us, that's ownership.

"We change the face of userexperiences. From mediocre tostunning."

– Alexander Diebald

Branding by UX

Outdated. Not a flattering word if your mission in life is to create infotainment systems with user experiences worthy of the name. Even now, when cars are equipped with expensive and high performance hardware, infotainment systems can't keep up with the mobile industry – and in our book, that's not OK. Drivers and passengers deserve to be delighted, and so do you as a car manufacturer. Is it too much to ask for an experience in line with next generation mobile devices? Not at all, in our opinion.

So how are we different? Well, first of all we put you back in the driver's seat. We believe you can — and likely do — design great in-car user experiences. But you simply aren't getting them implemented and delivered by your suppliers. That's why we connect your creative minds to what is technically possible and deliver an implementation that is quite simply stunning.

Secondly, we feel great passion for design and for using Qt to develop stunning user experiences; a passion we use to become the best of the best in our field. For instance, we have developed tools and products to bridge the gap between designers and developers. And we know how to get the optimal performance from your system. All in all, we make sure that your customer is able to interact with your brand. As you intend them to.

"Do you think that more expensivehardware will solve all yourproblems? Think again!"

– Mikael Söderberg

Silicon manufacturers tell us about their frustration with automotive electronics based on their hardware. Despite the latest silicon, performance is not on par with other industries. A lot of Infotainment software is implemented in a way that does not realize the potential of modern hardware – which is often the same as in high-end phones.

We believe that an Infotainment solution with a stunning UX requires more than good hardware. It requires a software architecture that optimizes graphics performance on the silicon. That's why we ensure that our competence stretches from silicon to pixel – a vertical slice through an entire system. We develop technologies to support the integration of fast moving, consumer facing technologies into the car, supporting the development of truly stunning user experiences on great hardware.

"It's time to put traditionalsoftware solutions where theybelong. Way behind us."

– Jeremiah Foster

Embrace Open Source

If GENIVI didn't exist, we would have had to invent it. GENIVI helped validate the use of Open Source in the automotive industry, opening up a huge ecosystem of consumer electronics software to the car guys. Before GENIVI existed, we believed in the potential disruption from Open Source, and we aligned with GENIVI quickly seeing it as the transformative opportunity it has turned out to be. I am the GENIVI Community Manager and I strive to engage a large community of software developers in the development of a truly open automotive reference platform – freely available for all.

Open Source is more than just code though, it’s a way of working and competing. It forces you to collaborate with your competition; after all, you're working on the same code base. It forces you to recognize that some software is a commodity, so use the best at the best price, and differentiate with your magic, your special sauce, your killer UI.

How we do it

Our eco-system changes evolution.

Where consumer behavior is driving the selection of software, your solutions have to be ready for new and exciting things to come. Not only do we team up directly with leading technology partners, we also integrate differentiating third party services of your choice. That's a good survival strategy for moving into the future.

Developing infotainment systems is a journey.

Let us on board right from the start. Let us bridge the gap between designers and developers. With our expertise and agile methods we ensure that the project follows all twists and turns of the market. And ends up in just the right place – with an up-to-date Infotainment system that delights your customers.

Utilizing maximized connectivity.

How many apps and cloud services do you run on your mobile phone? Music, contacts and social networks, they all build your “digital self”. We integrate content and apps seamlessly into your entire user experience to keep drivers connected while on the road. We keep your user experience fresh.

Design for continuous integration.

To bring the latest and greatest to the delight of your customer, you need to bridge between automotive and fast moving consumer electronics. Using agile processes and a software architecture designed for robust integration of 3rd party software and content, we enable you to shorten time to market for new technologies.

The story of our time

Up for a new experience?

It all started with an experience.

A really bad one. We all had a history of developing Infotainment systems. Even though we worked from different perspectives we all came to the same conclusion independently: the automotive Infotainment industry was fundamentally broken.

The automotive industry had managed to miss the mobile revolution. While smartphones were being developed and updated with product cycles of less than six months, Infotainment systems in cars were still delivered in six year cycles and were assumed to remain stable … a radio is a radio, CDs will likely carry on for another 10 years… Yeah, right.

”The industry didn't realize just how much smartphone technology would affect our daily lives and thereby our expectations on Infotainment in cars – where many of us spend more than an hour every day!”

– Mikael Söderberg

Getting into automotive

Back in 2004...

I worked with video codecs for Ericsson and saw a need to play video for entertainment purposes in cars. The idea of developing a company that applied new technologies from the consumer space into automotive grew. And so Mocean was born.

We did things the old, traditional way, engaging with silicon vendors and developing specific software for their specific silicon on behalf of traditional suppliers. For instance, we developed and deployed three Rear Seat Entertainment Systems for major OEMs such as BMW, Volvo Cars and Jaguar Land Rover – some of them still in production today.

We also did some really innovative things. For example, we worked with Xilinx and Analog Devices to develop the world’s only second source for MOST. We quickly established ourselves on the forefront of vehicle integration and automotive networking. So far, so good.

– Mikael Söderberg

A business in reverse

Months left to release:

Even though...

business was good for Mocean, we realized that something needed to change. Requests came in for dramatic feature growth on the products we had yet to deploy in production. When we received the request to develop Internet browsing technology with support for Flash, change was a fact. We knew that neither the software we had developed, nor the hardware that our systems were based on could support such a feature.

Infotainment systems throughout the industry were being outpaced by mobile phones – even before the cars left the factory. The industry fell behind the new technology that was evolving at Internet speed.

Eventually, some car manufacturers had enough and started the GENIVI Alliance and with that, an Open Source software platform for Infotainment. Because you can’t innovate in reverse gear.

Way to go, Intel!

WINWIN

The industry was turned upside down as Intel,

the leading consumer electronics silicon manufacturer, entered automotive Infotainment. And we went along. Going bottom up/top down. With our vast experience in automotive silicon and software design, we quickly became good partners and together we developed a true Intel Atom-based IVI hardware and software reference for GENIVI. It was a product that made us all proud – and still does. The world’s first Open Source Infotainment platform for cars came out better, smaller, lighter, and more functional than anything else in the industry. The power of the unit was in its software and suddenly it was perfectly clear. By leveraging Open Source software, we had achieved shorter times to market for modern features. But to make that happen, we really had to change our way of working.

In comes Pelagicore

#&8?

So we started a new company

focusing on Open Source. We continued working with Intel and GENIVI, but to force ourselves to change we built a new team. A team that wasn’t biased by developing software the automotive way. A team that, when realizing customer requirements, looked to the Open Source community for suitable projects to leverage.

And it paid off. Soon we secured a large contract with a major supplier and developed their high-end, Intel-based, Infotainment software platform – GENIVI compliant of-course.

In good Open Source spirit, we shared our progress and were ranked #174 on the top Linux kernel contributors list. Things were looking good.

Fighting conventions

Joining a community...

Joining a community and developing great technology is one thing – changing habits is another. As head of Infotainment development at a manufacturer I was responsible for the delivery of two generations of Infotainment systems. Every time we knew that the systems were obsolete even before we introduced them to the market. And plans to replace them were already at hand. Somehow we made the business cases work due to strong customer demand and potential negative impact of not replacing the systems – but in essence, we stuck to the status quo.

”I realized this was a dead end. I couldn't change the industry from within. So I joined Pelagicore as the new CEO, and we made it our mission to drive change.”

– Alwin Bakkenes

The open source revolution

”Pelagicore believes that Open Source not only provides solid reference implementations, but also enables a more robust and secure code base – all done through collaboration in the GENIVI Alliance and upstream projects.”

– Jeremiah Foster

To drive change, you need friends.

Thanks to our financier, Fouriertransform, we were able to invest in our Open Source based automotive software platforms.

You also need to put yourself in the middle of the action. Our vast experience from automotive and Infotainment had put us right in the center of the GENIVI Board. Right where we belong.

The GENIVI community is based not just on shared standards but on shared code. It does not support freeloaders. For Pelagicore, with its Open Source background, this was very close to our way of working. Our company may be small compared to some of the large automotive suppliers, but we have big ideas and many years of Open Source experience to influence the market and help with pushing boundaries.

Looking Qt

When I started to develop...

automotive user interfaces for Phillips Car Systems in 1997 the process was much the same as today: car manufacturers write tons of specs, developers on the supplier side scratch their heads, and after months deliver software that is not what is wanted. But then it is too late. In addition, with only proprietary tools at hand, development is slow and no fun. But, there was a glimpse of hope. Whenever working directly with designers and iterating concepts, we always exceeded expectations. And when applying concepts from early Open Source projects such as Qt, we made unheard progress.

After a stint on the OEM side my thinking was confirmed that designers and developers should work hand in hand. I joined Trolltech and started working with Qt, the renowned Open Source UI and application framework, also promoting Qt to the automotive industry.

Sharing a passion

When I met Mikael...

the first time in Gothenburg in summer of 2009, I immediately felt that we share the same passion for better automotive infotainment systems. We teamed up to deliver the first GENIVI reference system – he with Pelagicore on the hardware and software platform side, my team and I on the UI side with Qt. The result was stellar and opened the door wide for Qt in Automotive.

Three years on, still collaborating and more than ever strongly believing that Qt in Automotive is one key to fix what is broken, Mikael and I discussed our vision – and soon after my entire team and I joined Pelagicore. It felt like that finally everything was falling into place: Qt to bridge the gap between designers and developers, using Open Source and working upstream in an agile and iterative process, and all that backed up by proven automotive production experience. What a refreshing change!

It may be a new way of working. But it’s most certainly working.

”When we developed Qt in Trolltech we were like a big visionary family. Everything was possible. In Pelagicore I feel the same way. It's a feeling of being able to accomplish something big.”

– Alexander Diebald

UX evolution

Modern consumer devices...

are much more capable and powerful than even lunar landers were fifty years ago. Using all that processing power one can now create the kind of delightful experiences many designers have been dreaming of.

Even so, many Infotainment systems are still mediocre and frustrating to use. Car manufacturers are locked in their traditional ways of working and cannot change.

We understand, and we are listening insightfully, when designers tell us about simplicity and aesthetics. And we know what it takes to bring a stunning UX to the road.

At Pelagicore we are able to move quickly with new designs on new hardware because we move in an agile method, creating best in class software and optimizing it for the current and next generation of automotive silicon.

Changing the game

With Linux based systems

in Automotive becoming more accepted, an accomplished and brave team of engineers and innovators in our lines, and great customers on our side, it was time to go all in.

We focused on great design and user experience – rather than on pure function. It was time to emphasize the importance of a seamless and user-friendly interface that adds value to the brand. With a full platform available, we went to market and secured our first production projects based on Open Source software in fierce competition. We were on our way. And we broke new ground every day.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

We deployed our full product stack

on powerful hardware for a car manufacturer with high ambitions. Our engineering team was on fire and we pushed out features and designs that ran perfectly on target sprint after sprint. However, one day, we received word that the customer was forced to reduce content for reasons beyond our control. Our project had been cancelled.

But, we didn’t let this beat us down. Instead we went into an even higher gear and created a self-sufficient professional services practice using our combined expertise to deliver software development services to OEMs and Tier-1s and to support their projects. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

Strategic service assignments were pouring in and we actually grew from this experience. To enable greater delivery capacity, we hired new brains and acquired Mocean Laboratories – our former parent company. We also secured key partnerships such as with Elektrobit, the company behind the joint venture with Audi for high-end Infotainment systems. We were back: stronger and better than ever.

Experience change

For us and our customers,

a stunning user experience is not only about connectivity, functionality, and interface. It’s about the way we work and how we can achieve results. We bridge the gap between designers and developers with tools and process and are proud to see the results of that every time. We use agile processes in our development with car manufacturers and their suppliers and we have seen from experience that we are able to achieve dramatic efficiency gains by changing the way we work together.

All the time working with Open Source the way it was intended. We leverage upstream projects as much as possible and contribute back what we can. The business model behind this guarantees our customers freedom and ownership of the solutions we develop for them. Bringing Infotainment with stunning user experiences to the road: faster, cheaper, smarter.

To infinity and beyond!

Looking back,

we are very pleased that we made the choices and faced the challenges we have. And thankfully, we have been entrusted by key customers to deliver both our products and services for their future products. The fruits of our efforts will be on the road during 2016 for you to enjoy. We are proud to work with innovative customers such as leading premium car manufacturers and happy to support them with expertise and products for forthcoming product generations.